


Just who is Ichika, Anyway?

by treya_barton



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 23:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30130560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: Yu gets a girlfriend and Yosuke has to deal with the fact there is now someone else in his life he has to share his partner with.
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	Just who is Ichika, Anyway?

Yosuke’s eyes were swimming as he stared at his semi-legible notes while studying for his upcoming modern history class. Unlike second year which had mainly consisted of the code of bushido and the warring states period, third year went into Western influences on Japan and industrialization along with modern warfare. Yosuke was much more interested in the Sengoku and Bakumatsu periods – samurai were just more fascinating if he was being honest – but he had made a promise to study hard so he could get into a university in Tokyo to be closer to his partner. But even with how well he had been doing, tonight he had reached his threshold and his focus was finally slipping away.

Yosuke sighed and closed his notebook before rubbing his tired eyes and looking forlornly at the empty plate of snacks that his mother had brought him earlier in the evening. He took a sip of his now cold tea, grimacing before downing the rest in one gulp so he could bring the dishes downstairs to rinse off. It was really sweet how excited his parents were over his sudden change in attitude over his academics, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel good over how proud they seemed to be of him. In spite of his friends’ teasing, he could tell they were pretty proud of him too, and Yu had seemed outright giddy at the news. Or as giddy as his poker faced best friend could get.

Yosuke smiled fondly at the memory of the phone call where he revealed his plans to his partner before sighing as he finished rinsing off his plate and cup. He looked over at the living room where Teddie was watching a show on TV with his mom. Tonight was one of the nights his dad closed at Junes so he probably wouldn’t be home for another half hour. Yosuke considered joining his mother and Teddie for a moment, but then he remembered the new online game he had just started playing and he instead made his way back upstairs to his computer. As he sat down at his desk and plugged in his headset, he was briefly distracted by his phone suddenly vibrating, indicating he had received a text. It was Yu.

Yosuke’s eyes lit up, and his game was momentarily forgotten as he leaned back in his chair and opened the text message. Yu was asking how studying was going, and Yosuke felt slight guilt by the fact he had stopped for the day. He messaged back he had just stopped to take a break and felt relieved when Yu seemed to think taking breaks was a good idea. At a certain point it was hard to continue to focus and retain information. As they continued messaging back and forth, Yosuke’s original plans to play his videogame completely slipped his mind. A smile kept flickering on his face at his partner’s witty comments to his messages, and he couldn’t help but feel good over the fact that he was one of the few people who brought out more of his partner’s true personality. Yu usually held a careful façade that kept people at a distance, but it hadn’t taken long for Yosuke to break him out of it. It was one of the few things Yosuke could truly take full credit for in his life.

Since the next day was Saturday which meant they would be off the following day, Yosuke curiously asked Yu what he would be doing after school? Even Yu took a break from his busy schedule on his days off and would often have outings planned with friends, although that was apparently a lot less frequent in the city. “I have a date with my girlfriend after school,” was Yu’s response, and Yosuke’s phone suddenly slipped from his fingers before clattering down to the plastic mat under his computer chair.

The sound was what broke him from his momentary stupor, and he hurriedly picked it up, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before flipping it around, hoping that his screen hadn’t cracked in the fall. To his relief it was still intact and he let out a soft sigh as his eyes gazed at Yu’s message. “A girlfriend, huh…” Yosuke said softly. An odd feeling settled in his chest, and Yosuke wasn’t sure how to respond. He shook his head before messaging back to ask about her. He found it odd that Yu hadn’t ever mentioned showing interest in a girl before, although knowing him she probably had just confessed and he had gone along with it like he did last year with Ai.

Yu replied back that her name was Ichika, and he described her personality as playful and a little feisty, and Yosuke couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as Yu began to excitedly share information about her. That odd feeling in his chest only seemed to grow, and it didn’t take long for Yosuke to realize that what he was feeling was a little painful. He choked out a breath before abruptly setting down his phone, and he took a moment to force himself to breathe while trying to ignore the fact that he suddenly felt like crying. “What’s wrong with me?” he muttered before wiping at the tears that had suddenly formed in his eyes. Yu must really like this girl – he seemed to already be on a first name basis with her and Yosuke had never seen him show interest in someone else before. Plenty of people had been interested in him, but Yu had always spent most of his time with Yosuke and never seemed to return anyone’s interest.

Yosuke froze, as he suddenly understood his reaction. ‘I’m jealous,’ he thought, before a wave of shame washed over him. He was jealous that Yu had finally found someone to show interest in, because deep down he knew that meant he would no longer be the main focus of Yu’s attention. Yosuke bit his lip before furrowing his brows and lifting his phone to his face again. He typed out some thoughtless, positive response, congratulating Yu on his relationship, before feigning tiredness and saying he was going to bed.

Instead, he headed downstairs, video game forgotten, and quietly joined Teddie and his mother in the living room just as his dad was finally getting home. “What are you all doing up? Don’t you have school tomorrow?” his father asked.

“I just finished studying,” Yosuke fibbed. “Wanted to wind down a bit first.” What Yosuke didn’t realize is he had a pouting, sour expression on his face as he spoke and that he wasn’t hiding it behind his usual smiling façade. His parents exchanged puzzled looks, wondering what had gotten their son so moody, while Teddie turned his attention to Yosuke’s uncharacteristic response. While Yosuke could definitely become moody, he usually hid it in front of his parents. They had been under enough stress as it was and he hadn’t wanted to worry them further.

Teddie let out a big yawn and stretched. “As much as I want to finish this episode, I’m getting beary sleepy,” he said, staring at Yosuke. “Are you feeling sleepy yet?”

Yosuke checked the time. It was pretty late – his dad did have a point, he would need to be up early the next day for school. “Yeah, we should probably get ready for bed,” he agreed.

After wishing Yosuke’s parent’s good night, Yosuke and Teddie headed upstairs to brush their teeth and wash their faces. Teddie kept stealing glances at Yosuke as they got ready for bed, and when Yosuke rolled out Teddie’s futon for him next to his bed the blond finally voiced what had been on his mind. “Everything ok, Yosuke?” he asked, peering up at the boy who had adopted him into his family and who he saw as an older brother at this point. While Teddie looked up to Yu a lot and called him sensei, he had truly grown a soft spot for Yosuke who looked out for him and did his best to teach Teddie about the world, even if he didn’t always have the most patience. After watching enough dramas with Mrs. Hanamura, however, Teddie began to realize that’s kind of how real siblings were and it only helped him feel all the closer to Yosuke.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” Yosuke asked, appearing genuinely puzzled.

Teddie tilted his head. “You just seem kind of sad,” he said honestly, and Yosuke blinked in surprise.

He lifted his hand up to his face, lightly pressing around his mouth, and realized he was indeed frowning. Yosuke crouched with his arms around his knees and let out a sigh, realizing his parents had probably noticed earlier as well. “I didn’t realize I was showing it,” he muttered. He glanced over at Teddie who was giving him a concerned stare and let go of his breath. 

“I just…found out something recently and I’m trying to learn how to deal with it,” he vaguely replied. “I’ll get over it eventually.”

“Is it something related to sensei?” Teddie asked curiously, and Yosuke’s eyebrows rose.

“How did you…? I mean, why would you think…?” Yosuke started to say quickly, and Teddie rolled his eyes.

“Because you always get moody over sensei,” he replied. He then lightly pushed Yosuke away so he could burrow under his covers. It was Yosuke’s turn to roll his eyes, and he flicked off the light before climbing into his bed.

“Did you and sensei get into a fight?” Teddie asked curiously. Yosuke stared up at the ceiling – he had hoped Teddie had decided to let it go. It appeared he wasn’t quite that lucky.

“No, we didn’t,” he replied. “He just…mentioned something that surprised me, is all.”

He felt Teddie’s stare, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Yu’s got himself a girlfriend. I guess I was just a little…taken aback.”

Teddie’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?” he asked. Yosuke tossed him his phone, and Teddie unlocked it and scrolled through their conversation. Yosuke often let Teddie borrow his phone to play games, so he had gotten pretty used to how it worked. Teddie reached out to hand Yosuke back his phone, and Yosuke plugged it up before setting it next to him on the bed. The shadow turned human seemed to be at a loss for words for a change, and Yosuke shot him a painful looking smile.

“I’m pretty sure,” he finally replied, and Teddie looked up at him. He looked puzzled.

“I didn’t think sensei liked girls,” he finally blurted out, and Yosuke’s eyes widened. 

“What made you think that?” he asked, although he honestly had thought basically the same thing earlier. Yu had never really shown an interest in anyone, although it could just mean it was because he hadn’t found the one yet.

“The only one he ever seemed interested in was you,” Teddie said bluntly. Yosuke felt his cheeks flush at Teddie’s words, and he was surprised by a fluttery feeling in his chest. It had been quite awhile since he had last felt this way, and he blinked in confusion for a moment.

“You’re joking,” Yosuke said, his voice light as he slipped his usual smile on his face. Teddie was still giving him a serious look, and Yosuke felt his expression falter under his gaze.

“Maybe you should think about why sensei getting a girlfriend has got you all upset,” Teddie huffed.

“I’m not upset! I’m just…” Yosuke let out groan. “I guess I’m just a little jealous? You’re right, Yu did spend a lot of time with me last year and…I guess I just kind of thought it would be the same once I got to the city. But if he’s got a girlfriend…” Yosuke trailed off. “I’m just being stupid. I’ll get over it, don’t worry.” He shot Teddie a reassuring smile, before quickly rolling over and turning his back to him while pretending to go to sleep. Teddie was well aware Yosuke was trying to hide his expression so he couldn’t tell how torn up he was feeling and wouldn’t worry about him.

Teddie frowned, before also rolling over. He just couldn’t imagine their leader suddenly getting a girlfriend like that – he knew his instincts were right about his sensei’s feelings for his brother. And he – and everyone else in the IT – were well aware of Yosuke’s feelings for his “partner” as well. At this point, he figured the only one dense enough not to know was Yosuke and he thought Yu had been patiently waiting for his brother to come around. And honestly, Yosuke seemed to be on the right path. Teddie truly thought he had been coming around to accepting his feelings, and would be prepared for them by the time he moved to Tokyo for university. Could Yu really not have waited any longer? 

Teddie didn’t like the idea of Yosuke’s heart getting broken before he had a chance to confront his feelings for their leader. He thought back over the text message again, feeling like there was something odd about it. Would his sensei be the type of guy to like a girl that was described as playful and fierce? That almost sounded like Chie and he had never shown any interest in her romantically while here. Teddie felt his eyelids getting heavy, and he decided he would continue mulling over it later after a good night’s rest.

Yosuke, meanwhile, found himself unable to sleep, and he instead stared at the wall as he thought over all the different moments he had shared with Yu last year. His chest still had a tightness to it from earlier, but it had lessened somewhat and was more bearable. He would just have to get over this petty jealousy and accept Yu’s feelings and Yu’s girlfriend. What kind of best friend would he be otherwise? Somehow, the thought wasn’t exactly calming, and when he finally drifted to sleep it was an uneasy one marred with feverish dreams. 

Over the next few days, instead of looking forward to Yu’s texts as Yosuke normally did, he found himself dreading it. They would normally start off normal enough, and sometimes Yosuke would get so engrossed in their usual banter that his partner’s new relationship status would completely slip his mind. But then Yu would slip in something about his girlfriend again and Yosuke would have to feign interest even though he really didn’t want to talk about it.

Truthfully, it made him feel like a real jerk. He remembered back in the day when he used to hound Yu over his type and asked what he thought about various girls at school, and he was struck by the juxtaposition to now when all he wanted to do was avoid it. Thankfully, it made focusing on his studies easier since it was a useful excuse to get out of uncomfortable conversations with Yu, and due to his guilt every time he used it he would actually study to make up for it. He needed the motivation, because the thought that he would get to Tokyo only to not spend time with his partner who would be more invested in his new girlfriend was definitely sapping his prior enthusiasm.

“This is stupid,” Yosuke muttered as he hunched over his homework. Yosuke loved the city, and his parents had encouraged him to return and pursue his education there knowing how much he loved city life and wanted to be closer to his best friend. Even before, when Yu had dated Ai and when he had his time split between spending time with their other friends, school clubs, part time jobs, and solving the murder cases, he had always set aside time for Yosuke. Yosuke dropped his head on his textbook before staring blankly at his dark television screen. Downstairs, he could hear his mom vacuuming and straightening up; both Teddie and his dad was at work and with him upstairs studying it gave his mom a window to focus on housework. He listened to the sound of the vacuum cleaner for a few more moments as his mind mulled over his predicament.

Finally, he made up his mind, and he sat up before grabbing his phone. His messages with Yu had been sporadic lately, and Yosuke figured by now Yu had picked up on his uncharacteristic replies and wondered how his partner was taking it. Did he take them at face value, figuring Yosuke really was that busy with school? Somehow Yosuke doubted it – even with his focus on studying this year, up until now he had always been enthusiastic in his responses to his best friend. Did Yu realized things changed after mentioning his girlfriend, or did he think it was something he did…?

Yosuke’s face blanched at the thought and he quickly sent Yu a text, stating he was taking a break. To his relief, his partner’s reply was pretty fast, and Yosuke felt himself relax as Yu asked how studying was going. They messaged back and forth a few times, just like they usually would, and Yosuke took a deep breath, pulling in that same maturity that allowed him to take the criticism from the locals about Junes over the past 2-3 years; while it had improved lately, he would still hear the occasional comments here or there to this day. “How’s it going with your girlfriend?” he messaged, trying his best to ignore the sharp pain in his chest as Yu began to message back about her, obviously pleased Yosuke had brought it up.

Yosuke scanned the messages, before resting his phone against his head and blinking back tears. ‘Whoever she is, partner really likes her,’ he realized. After he took a few moments to gather himself together, he pulled his phone back down so he could read Yu’s most recent reply, and his eyes widened.

“When you come to visit, I would really like you to meet her,” Yu responded, and Yosuke began to panic for a moment. His upcoming trip to the city had slipped his mind, and he suddenly felt ill at the thought. His fingers gripped his phone, and he did his best to steady his breathing. He was going up during a school holiday in order to check out a few different campuses; he was trying to figure out which universities to take the entrance exams for and had been planning to stay at Yu’s apartment while there. They had originally been excited about the trip, but Yosuke’s shock over Yu’s relationship had caused the whole thing to slip his mind.

“Shit,” Yosuke muttered before setting down his phone and staring at it. He chewed at his lip for a moment, before resigning himself to the fact he would have to face it.

“Looking forward to it, partner~” he messaged back, before stating his break was up and he would be getting back to studying. He then set his phone down and closed his textbook, knowing there was no way he was going to be able to focus on practicing his math formulas anymore. Instead, he went to his computer to boot up the online game he was into lately. 

‘Mayumi will help me forget this for awhile,’ Yosuke thought; in the game, you could choose various characters to join your party, and Mayumi was his favorite so far. She was quiet, smart, and she recently had cooked something for the main character in a social link that had strongly reminded Yosuke of his partner; he had been surprisingly honest with himself and had pretty much admitted from the get go the reason why he liked her so much was her personality and silver hair was like a female version of Yu.

“If only,” Yosuke sighed as he lost himself in his game before bed.

Ever since Yu had returned to the city, it always seemed like when it came close to time for him to return to Inaba for a visit time would slow down as if mocking Yosuke who was impatiently waiting to see him again. Now that he was dreading the visit, time seemed to fly by instead and before he knew it Yosuke was stuffing clothes in his bag while Teddie watched him from his computer chair. “You don’t look too happy,” Teddie observed as Yosuke zipped up his bag. He checked his phone to see what time it was and frowned. He had started packing surprisingly early for him – he usually put it off until the last minute – and he still had enough time to get interrogated by Teddie before his dad would take him to the train station.

He set down his bag and sat on his bed before twiddling with the wire to his earphones. “I’m supposed to be meeting Yu’s girlfriend today,” he admitted. Once he got to Tokyo, Yu was supposed to be waiting for him and after they grabbed something to eat they would be heading out to meet up with his girlfriend.

“You said his girlfriend seems to make him happy,” Teddie replied thoughtfully.

Yosuke let out a sigh. “Yeah, she does. I’m sure she’s going to be great.”

“You make him happy too,” Teddie reminded him, and Yosuke gave him a small smile.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he replied. “Even back when he was splitting his time between everyone, he always made time for me. And we’re planning on trying to live near each other so I’m sure we’ll still hang out.” It may not be as much as Yosuke had planned, but he would spend his free time exploring the city and getting to know people; in Tokyo, he wouldn’t be known as the “prince of Junes.” “Thanks, Ted.”

Teddie beamed at him, before standing up and rushing over to sit next to Yosuke on the bed. “What souvenir will you bring me?” he asked, his blue eyes sparkling, and Yosuke rolled his eyes before pushing him back.

“Who says you’re getting anything?” he muttered, while Teddie pouted at him. Yosuke glanced over at him before staring at the wall. “Anything in particular you want?” he finally asked, and Teddie’s eyes lit up.

“One of those limited edition Featherman gacha,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find one in the city.” His eyes were shining hopefully, and Yosuke rolled his eyes before making a note on his phone. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he promised. He then glanced at the time on his phone again before standing up. “Looks like it’s time to go.”

Teddie leapt forward and threw his arms around him. “I’m sure everything will be ok,” he said. “So try to be happy – you’re getting to see sensei!”

“You’re right,” Yosuke smiled. “Thanks, Ted. Maybe I’ll try to get you the whole set!”

“I dunno, the red one’s really rare…” Teddie mused. “But I certainly won’t say no!”

Yosuke snorted before throwing the strap to his bag over his shoulder and giving Teddie a wave before heading downstairs. He and his mom exchanged a hug before Mrs. Hanamura handed him a bento to eat on the train. Yosuke packed it away in his backpack which also included some snacks and manga he planned on reading on the train before he followed his dad out to their car.

“Got everything you need?” his dad asked, and Yosuke nodded.

Mr. Hanamura then started the car and they headed to the station. After driving in silence for a few minutes, his father glanced at him. “What’s been on your mind lately?” he finally asked. Yosuke let out a sigh.

“I dunno, Dad. Yu’s just finally got himself a girlfriend, and I guess I’ve been afraid he won’t want to hang out as much because of it. Don’t worry, Teddie already reminded me that I’m stupid to think that.” Yosuke had a bemused grin on his face over their earlier conversation.

“You’re both at that age,” his father agreed. “Once you’re in university, things will be a lot different. You’ll be exploring interests and really finding yourself. Although, I have to admit, after meeting Narukami it felt like you already started that particular journey.”

Yosuke scratched the back of his head and carefully looked out the window. It was hard to explain exactly what he and his friends had all gone through together last year. “You can say that,” he vaguely replied.

“I think a good place to start will be _why_ you felt so upset about your friend getting a girlfriend,” his father mused. “Or…partner as you call him.”

Yosuke’s eyes tore away from looking out the window. “Huh? What do you mean?” he asked. They pulled into the train station, however, and his dad decided now was a good time to play dumb. 

“Hm?” he asked as he helped grab Yosuke’s bag out of the car.

“Dad, that’s not fair,” Yosuke whined, and Mr. Hanamura ruffled his hair in reply. 

“Have a safe trip and have fun. Don’t do anything that would worry your mom and stay out of trouble.”

Yosuke pouted, before going in for a hug. His dad patted his back before they both pulled away. “I’ll be home before you know it,” Yosuke said with a grin before waving at his dad and heading to the platform. This was Yosuke’s first time travelling on his own; before he had always been on school trips or hanging out with friends, so he was admittedly a little nervous and knew his parents probably were too. He made a mental note to let them know when he arrived to Tokyo and was with his partner. Yosuke’s heart suddenly skipped a beat with anticipation as he realized he would soon be seeing Yu again after months apart. Even the thought of meeting his girlfriend was no longer dampening his anticipation. In only a few hours the partners would be together again. A faint smile formed on Yosuke’s face as the train pulled into the station, and he quickly climbed aboard and got his bags settled once he found his seat. “Not much longer,” he murmured as he pulled his headphones over his ears and prepared for the trip to Tokyo.

Several hours and one finished bento later, the train finally pulled into the station that was closest to Yu’s family apartment. The platform was so crowded with people waiting to board that Yosuke was unable to spot his partner; it was such a contrast to the Inaba platform, and Yosuke realized he had forgotten what it was like to be in such a crowded area. ‘I never thought there would be something I’d prefer in Inaba,’ Yosuke thought with an inward chuckle as he began to scan the crowd for Yu. Yosuke felt nervous anticipation, and it only increased as the seconds ticked by without spotting familiar gray hair. Yu was pretty tall and tended to stick out in a crowd which was only making Yosuke feel more anxious. He pulled out his phone to give him a call just as he finally heard a familiar voice calling out his name. 

“Yosuke!” The brunet turned and his eyes locked with his partner’s for the first time in months. Before his mind could catch up with his actions, he had dashed down the platform, pushing between some of the other disembarking passengers, before throwing himself into Yu’s waiting arms.

“Partner!” Yosuke shouted, and as Yu returned the hug he felt that strange fluttering feeling in his chest again. “I was starting to worry you hadn’t come to pick me up.”

“Why would I ever do that?” Yu asked, startled by Yosuke’s comment. He pulled away in order to study Yosuke’s face.

Yosuke bit back his reply – something about being too busy with his girlfriend, and instead shook his head. “Just my anxiety. Normally it’s so easy to spot you.”

“It’s certainly a shock returning to the crowded city,” Yu agreed. He offered to take Yosuke’s duffle bag, but he shook his head.

“So, where are you taking me for lunch?” Yosuke asked excitedly as Yu began to lead him out of the train station.

“A family restaurant that I’ve been going to since I was a kid,” Yu replied. “My parents enjoy going there so it’s the Narukami family spot so to speak.”

“Hmmm, take Ichika-san with you then?” Yosuke asked, and Yu gave him a puzzled expression.

“That’s an odd kind of joke, Yosuke,” he replied.

“What do you mean?” Yosuke asked. It was now his turn to be puzzled.

“This isn’t the kind of place I would take her,” Yu replied as they began to head down the street. Yosuke really didn’t know what to do with that information. 

‘Is this another Ai situation?’ he suddenly wondered, although Yu’s never gushed about Ai like he did this Ichika girl. In fact, it had been pretty obvious that Ai really wore him out. ‘If not, then why would it be appropriate to take _me_ to this restaurant that he goes to with his family…' That heavy feeling formed in his chest again, and by the time they reached the restaurant and sat down to eat, Yosuke’s high from getting to see Yu again had already deflated.

“Everything ok?” Yu asked as they opened up the menus.

“Yeah, just tired from the long train ride,” Yosuke fibbed before hiding his face behind his menu. He missed Yu’s incredulous gaze and tried to focus on the offered dishes, although he instead found his mind drifting back to his conflicting thoughts. ‘You’re supposed to be acting like a good friend, not like a jealous bo…’ Yosuke’s thoughts stilled, and he abruptly pulled away from that dangerous line of thinking. His cheeks felt warm all of a sudden, and he wondered where that thought had slipped in from.

“I would recommend one of the pork dishes. They’re all very good,” Yu said. “Maybe something filling will give you some energy back.”

“Yeah, can’t meet Ichika-san acting all low energy. She needs to get the full Hanamura experience,” Yosuke agreed. Yu glanced at him again over his menu before giving a small hum of agreement.

Yosuke ended up ordering the ginger pork while Yu got the unagi don, and as they settled into eating and catching each other up on how things were going in school, Yosuke found himself calming down as they fell back into their old routine. It was like Yu had never left Inaba and they were back to their old familiar relationship as partners. Yosuke felt himself fall back toward accepting his fate after their meal and the change in their dynamic that would come with a girlfriend in the picture. Yu looked truly happy, and if even a tiny portion of it was due to his girlfriend then Yosuke would support them wholeheartedly.

As they left the restaurant, Yosuke was patting his stomach. “Boy, you weren’t kidding. I’m so stuffed,” he said. “So, where are we going to meet this girlfriend of yours?”

“Ah, she’s a little further up the road. There’s a park over there,” Yu replied. He did seem excited to show her off, and in spite of Yosuke’s previous thoughts he couldn’t help but feel a small pang in his chest as he followed Yu down the street.

Once they reached the park, they began to wander around. Yosuke kept turning his head, wondering what this mysterious girl looked like who had captured his partner’s heart. So far, they hadn’t really seen much of anyone, and they were moving further and further down the path to an area that was more trees than path. “Are you sure she’s really here?” Yosuke asked.

“Of course – she’s always around here,” Yu replied, before a warm smile spread across his face. “There she is!” he said before picking up his pace.

Yosuke looked around, his brows furrowing when he still didn’t spot anyone around. ‘Has partner lost it?’ he suddenly wondered as he trailed behind Yu. Then, he heard something completely unexpected, and he sharply turned his head as he watched Yu kneel down in order to pet a small brown cat who had just mewed in appreciation. The cat stared back at him with similarly brown eyes, and Yosuke felt himself freeze in place.

“That’s a cat,” Yosuke deadpanned, and Yu glanced up at him.

“Yes, Ichika is a cat,” he confirmed, appearing a bit bewildered.

“She’s a cat,” Yosuke repeated, and Yu’s brows furrowed.

“Yosuke?” he asked, suddenly sounding concerned.

“I’ve been feeling jealous and heartbroken…over a cat,” Yosuke said, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. It was like his head was swimming and his chest felt uncomfortably tight. His head felt hot, and he realized that his eyes were beginning to tear up. He let out a sniff, and before he could truly embarrass himself by breaking down into tears, he suddenly found himself enveloped in a familiar warmth. Yosuke squeezed his eyes shut before burying his head on Yu’s shoulder, taking in his clean, comforting scent as Yu held him close. Normally, Yu would make some comment that would calm him down and make him feel better, but he felt stiff and was staying silent.

Yosuke pulled away to glance up at him, and he felt startled as he realized that his partner, who was usually confident and had with the help of him and his friends defeated a god, appeared to be holding himself back. Yosuke blinked a few times, feeling the tears he had been holding back spill over at the action, before he pulled away and wiped at his tears with his sleeve. Yu looked away, and Yosuke could tell he was trying to regain his composure and slip on his usual cool façade. Unfortunately for him, Yosuke had grown adept at reading him over the past year, and could tell that Yu was struggling with something.

That’s when it suddenly clicked. He remembered Teddie’s words about how he didn’t think Yu liked girls and only wanted to hang out with him, and his father’s comment to think about why he was so upset Yu got a girlfriend. Yosuke let out a surprised gasp, and Yu gave him a curious look. Before he could ask what was wrong, however, Yosuke blurted out, “Please date me!”

Yu’s eyes widened in shock, and his cheeks took on an unexpected pink tinge. “Excuse me?” he asked while appearing stunned.

“Please date me, so I never have to feel that horrible again. I thought you really had a girlfriend, and I don’t think I can go through that again,” Yosuke explained. “I like you partner – I really like you. The thought of you going out with someone else just devastated me…” he confessed.

Yu stared at him, his face completely devoid of any expression, and Yosuke suddenly wondered if he had made a mistake. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have let this get to my head…’ he thought with a wince. Those worries were soon wiped away as Yu hoarsely replied, “Yes.”

Yosuke’s head shot up, and to his surprise it was now Yu who had tears in his eyes. “Of course I’ll date you. I never thought I would hear you say that…”

Yosuke grinned, before opening his arms to his best friend. Yu stepped forward and dropped his head on his shoulder as Yosuke held him close. “What kind of a dumbass calls a cat their girlfriend anyway,” Yosuke grumbled, and Yu let out a chuckle.

“She kind of reminded me of you,” he confessed. Yosuke thought about her brown fur and eyes, and realized that Yu had named the cat one blossom which was basically the opposite of his last name. 

“You’re such a dumbass,” Yosuke fondly said, before holding him tighter. “Teddie is not going to let me live it down that I was jealous over a cat though.”

“It makes me feel better, though, that you were jealous,” Yu replied.

“Do not tell me you’re one of those guys who thinks it’s cute when their crush is jealous,” Yosuke groaned.

Yu pulled away while shaking his head. “No, I just thought when you started acting distant that I had done something wrong. I had been hoping that maybe, slowly, over time your feelings for me may change and one day match mine but…” He looked down, and Yosuke realized that while he had been hurting over Yu, his partner had been doing the same over him.

“I guess we’re both dumbasses,” he shook his head, and Yu laughed. Yosuke gently wiped at his tears while smiling at him. “Well, I feel loads better now,” he said, before turning to look at the cat who had plopped on the ground and was curiously watching them. He kneeled down next to her and allowed her to sniff at his hand before she bowed her head, allowing him to pet her.

“Sorry Ichika. I kind of stole your boyfriend away,” he said cheerfully. Yu kneeled down behind him and rested his head on his back while gripping his jacket with his hands.

“I don’t think she’ll mind,” he said. “As long as she gets snacks.”

Yosuke hummed in reply, secretly enjoying Yu’s warmth and weight as he leaned against him. ‘This is nice,’ he realized, and he wondered why it had taken him so long to realize his feelings for his best friend. ‘I really am a dumbass,’ he thought with an internal sigh.

**Author's Note:**

> After a year of hard work, Yosuke managed to place well enough on his entrance exams to make it into one of the universities he had applied for after his trip to Tokyo where he and Yu had officially become a couple. Just as they had originally planned, they ended up getting an apartment together and were currently living in domestic bliss. Well, that is with one small caveat. 
> 
> “I wonder how my wife is doing,” Yosuke hummed as he set down his bag in their room after class. He plopped himself into his computer chair and booted up his computer so he could log into his game. Yu glared at him from where he was lounging on their bed while reading a book for his literature class. Yosuke didn’t notice, and instead cheerfully sang, “Ma-yu-mi-chan~”
> 
> Yu turned back to his book with a frown. The first time Yosuke had mentioned his crush on this videogame character, he had felt immediate disdain for her. Yosuke had told him multiple times that he only liked her because she reminded him of Yu, but it did little to ease his jealousy. He didn’t like Yosuke looking so lovestruck over something else, even if it was a videogame character.
> 
> Yu closed his book and set it on the bed next to him before sliding out of bed and silently coming up behind his boyfriend. Yosuke was waiting for the game to load and was humming along to the loading screen music. Due to having his headphones on in order to not disturb his boyfriend, he didn’t notice as Yu snuck up on him. Just as the game was about to load, Yu leaned forward to press a warm kiss to Yosuke’s neck, causing him to shudder and jerk away. “What are you do…?” he gasped, before Yu captured his lips, effectively cutting off the end of his sentence. 
> 
> Yosuke’s character began to perform its idle animation on the screen as Yu turned Yosuke’s chair so he could lean more insistently into his personal space while pulling off his headphones and placing it on his desk. “You didn’t even greet me as you came home,” he quietly complained before nipping at Yosuke’s ear. Yosuke was flushed bright red, and he did appear a little chastised by Yu’s complaint. “All you ever do is think about Mayumi when you have me right here.”
> 
> “Jealousy isn’t a cute trait, you know,” Yosuke grumbled, as Yu climbed on his lap and gave a small pout. Yu knew that as much as he complained about it, Yosuke found it incredibly flattering and it boosted his confidence. His boyfriend needed to be reminded how appealing he was sometimes. His attention was effectively pulled from his game, however, which meant Yu’s objective had been cleared. “Fortunately, you’re cute either way,” Yosuke grinned, running his fingers through Yu’s hair before leaning in for another kiss. Yu met him halfway.
> 
> “Mayumi can’t do this with you, now can she?” he murmured against Yosuke’s lips.
> 
> “Dumbass,” Yosuke replied before cutting off his retort with an open mouthed kiss. They soon made their way back to the bed, the open videogame forgotten and doomed to Yosuke remaining AFK as all too frequently happened when Yu was around.


End file.
